Citrus County woman nabbed in Arkansas on counterfeiting charges

A Citrus County woman who has evaded Florida authorities for the better part of the past six months after breaking terms of a deal struck less than a year ago was unable to elude Jonesboro, Arkansas, police on Tuesday night, according to a news report from the Jonesboro (Arkansas) Sun.

Jamie Dewberry, 36, of Dunnellon, was caught trying to purchase items from a Dillards with counterfeit money in Jonesboro, Arkansas.

According to Citrus County Court records, Dewberry had struck an agreement in February 2019 with the state attorney’s office for two years of community controlled probation (house arrest), with a suspended 5-year prison sentence on the presumption Dewberry would not violate the terms of her probation. Terms of the community controlled probation did not stipulate Dewberry wear a monitoring device. Dewberry violated the terms of that agreement by failing to report to probation officer, records state. In July 2019, Judge Richard “Ric” Howard issued an arrest warrant; per the orders, no bond was to be set.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office does have an active warrant for her arrest for violation of probation, according to a sheriff’s office spokesman. For such a warrant, those are for Florida pick ups only, CCSO Sgt. Lee Carey said.

According to the Sun, District Court Judge Tommy Fowler found probable cause Wednesday to charge Dewberry with first-degree forgery, theft by receiving goods valued greater than $5,000 but less than $25,000 and tampering with physical evidence.

The Jonesboro Police Department was dispatched Tuesday night in reference to fake money to Dillards, 3000 E. Highland Ave., in Jonesboro, Arkansas. An employee advised JPD Sgt. Chris Poe, who was working as an off-duty security officer, that Dewberry attempted to purchase items using five counterfeit $100 bills marked, according to reports.

In court Wednesday, Dewberry said she didn’t know the money was counterfeit.

“I found them on the floor. … I didn’t know,” she said.

However, according to Citrus County Court records, this wasn’t Dewberry’s first encounter with $100 counterfeit bills.

In December 2018, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office charged her with possession of counterfeit tools and counterfeit bills. In addition, she was charged with possession of a controlled substance, drug paraphernalia. According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies found “several $100 bills that appeared to be counterfeit” in her wallet. Dewberry told law enforcement officials “the bills were payment for a laptop computer that she sold.”

While conducting a search of the vehicle during the December 2018 traffic stop, the report stated deputies found two Epsom printers and three laptop computers along with card stock and numerous items used for making counterfeit $100 bills.

According to the report, inside one of the printers were 18 bleached $100 bills, which had the back sides printed as $100 bills. All told, the total number of counterfeit bills were 29.

After finding the counterfeit items, the report stated, Dewberry told deputies the counterfeit items belonged to her; however, she wished to speak to an attorney.

The Jonesboro Sun reported in addition to the five fake bills, $323 in real money suspected as change from other counterfeit purchases, one Sutton bank debit card belonging to someone else, two SanDisk USB drives and two sets of keys to a 2020 Hyundai Elantra were found on her person. According to the incident report, the Elantra is owned by EAN Holding LLC, which does business as Enterprise Rent-a-Car.

“Dewberry told officers she was from out of town and traveling through Jonesboro in a vehicle that was parked at Dillards. … Upon checking the vehicle, it was listed as stolen through NCIC (National Crime Information Center),” the probable cause affidavit read.

When Dewberry was searched at the Craighead County Detention Center, officers found nine additional counterfeit bills on her person. Her bond was set at $15,000, cash or surety.

At this point in time, the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office would not seek to extradite Dewberry “unless there were extenuating circumstances,” said Sgt. Carey, who noted the cost to extradite her would fall upon the CCSO.

“We will monitor the case,” he added.

Brittany Williams, a staff writer with the Jonesboro Sun, contributed to this report.